The Top 4 Pneumatic Valves & When To Use Them

Valves are an integral part of any pneumatic system. Their main task is to control the rate, pressure, and volume of compressed air, which is used to transmit power.

Several types of pneumatic valves exist to improve the work of pneumatic systems. Which one do you need? Let’s look deeper into the options. If you have any questions about the pneumatic valve type, you can ask our specialists to choose the ideal one for your system.

1) Directional Flow Control Valves

Directional flow control valves either control the direction of the airflow or slow down/stop the flow completely. These valves are identified by the number of flow paths they offer as well as the mechanism by which the valve ports are opened or closed.

Two-way directional valves – allow air to pass in two directions via two ports that open and close.

Three-way directional valves – have three ports: one for connection to an actuator, one for acquiring the air flow, and one for exhaust exit. All of them open and close.

Four-way directional valves – have four ports: two for connection to actuators, one for connection to the airflow, one for exhaust exit. All of them open and close.

The four-way directional flow valves are the most common ones used for pneumatic systems. The four ports allow the valve to reverse the motor or basic cylinder motion efficiently.

Sometimes, a five- way directional flow valve is used as well. The extra port allows two types of pressure to be applied depending on the system’s needs.

2) Shut-Off Valves

Pneumatic Shut-Off Valves are used in pneumatic systems in many industries to control the flow of compressed atmospheric air. They can be applicable for mining, construction, pharmaceutical production, and much more.

Shut-off valves block or control compressed air. These valves ensure leak control and the safety of the system. They are especially important for systems that deal with hazardous gases, which can be poisonous for the operators and the environment.

For many facilities dealing with high-pressure pneumatic systems, shut-off valves are compulsory.

3) Fast-Switching Valves

Festo is a leading supplier of high-quality fast switching valves. These valves offer an exceptionally fast switching time of less than one millisecond. This is much faster than standard pneumatic solenoid valves can achieve.

Fast-switching valves have a special design with a single moving part. They offer high switching time repetition accuracy. They also last up to 10 billion switching cycles.

4) Proportional Valves

Proportional valves offer endless possibilities for spool positioning, allowing infinitely adjustable flow volumes. These valves combine flow/speed control and directional control functions, so there is no need for two separate valves to deal with direction and speed. They are a great choice for systems that need more than one flow speed.

Official Festo Pneumatic Valves

At Hydrastar, we have a wide selection of Festo pneumatic valves for your systems. If you have any questions about which valve is the best for your needs, our specialists are always ready for a free consultation. For more information, please download our free guide, How To Minimise Downtime With Pneumatic Plant And Machinery.